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INDONESIA: Jakarta’s Christian Governor Found Guilty

11 May 2017

In a tense trial that was widely seen as a test of religious tolerance in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, was “found to have legitimately and convincingly conducted a criminal act of blasphemy, and because of that we have imposed two years of imprisonment”, head judge Dwiarso Budi Santiarto told the court.

Ahok was charged with blasphemy after he said clerics had used a Koranic verse to mislead voters by telling them that Muslims were not allowed to vote for a Christian. He has denied wrongdoing, and said he was not criticising the Koran, but rather the clerics’ interpretation of the verse.

The sentence was harsher than expected and will come as a shock to many of his supporters. TV news coverage of the scene outside the court showed some supporters weeping.

Prosecutors had called for a suspended one-year jail sentence on charges of hate speech. The maximum sentence is four years in prison for hate speech and five years for blasphemy.

Judges said he did it deliberately and did not show remorse. Ahok told the court he will appeal the ruling.

Thousands of police have been deployed across the capital in case clashes break out between Ahok’s supporters and hard-line Islamists who demanded he be sacked and jailed over the allegations. There was no immediate sign of any violence after the court’s verdict. “Both groups will have the opportunity to demonstrate, but we are taking steps to prevent clashes,” national police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said earlier.

The Indonesian Government had been criticised for not doing enough to protect religious minorities but President Joko Widodo, a key ally of Ahok, urged restraint over the trial and called for all sides to respect the legal process.

Ahok lost his bid for re-election in an April run-off, by far the most divisive and religiously charged election in recent years, to a Muslim rival Anies Baswedan — he will hand over to Mr Baswedan in October.

Source: ABC News

Pray Ahok will feel the ministering presence of the Lord as he comes to terms with this verdict. Pray he will be courageous and trust in the Lord above all things.

Pray Ahok will be encouraged by his church family as well as his supporters.

Commit to the Lord the appeal. Pray this high-profile case may draw attention to the difficulties religious minorities face in Indonesia.